Editorial: Protect yourself from identity theft

Monday

Jun 23, 2014 at 12:01 AMJun 23, 2014 at 10:05 PM

Our easy access to credit cards, online banking and mail order retailers have made our world much more convenient. They have also made us much more vulnerable to identity theft. It is a terrible crime that is finding more and more local victims with every passing year.

The numbers are frightening.

In 2012 alone, about 16.6 million people experienced identity theft. And nearly one in seven of those suffered a monetary loss.

That is a lot of victims, and the number is going up. Identity theft is regarded as the fastest growing crime in America.

It is also a lot of criminals who are constantly on the prowl, looking for personal information that they can transform into theft. They can use Social Security numbers or other personal information to open credit cards in your name.

Before you even have a warning, you could be in debt for someone else’s luxurious spending.

Local folks can tell alarming tales of having their information stolen and receiving massive bills for goods and services they never ordered or received. There are many other cases that go unreported or, even worse, undiscovered.

“As the methods used to perform identity theft expand, so do the types of accounts and services being stolen by identity thieves,” reports the web site, www.identitytheft.info.

“Credit, debit, checking and saving accounts are no longer the only targets.” the web site warns. “Identity fraud has grown to include theft of cell and landline phone service; cable and satellite television service; power, water, gas and electric service; Internet payment service; medical insurance; home mortgages and rental housing; automobile, boat and other forms of financing and loans; and, government benefits. Fortunately, there are things you can do to lessen the likelihood of fallen victim to unscrupulous people.”

These are some tips from the Better Business Bureau that can help you protect yourself from identity theft:

—Shred documents that contain personal financial information.

—Never give personal information to strangers on the phone.

—Destroy expired credit and debit cards, cutting through the numbers.

—Use your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary.

—Secure your personal documents.

—Minimize the information on checks. Don’t include your Social Security number, phone number or driver’s license.

—Monitor your transactions.

—Don’t create obvious computer passwords.

—Check your credit report at least once a year.

If your identity is stolen, call your local police department and the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-438-4338.

Some of these tips might seem like common sense actions, but even these aren’t enough to eliminate identity theft. If you are careful, though, you can at least make it more difficult for the thieves.

A version of this editorial first appeared in The Daily Comet of Thibodaux, La., a Halifax Media Group newspaper.